Monthly Archives: August 2008

Bette Midler Makes a Date with Shure in Sin City
L & S America
August 26, 2008

As effusive and irrepressible as ever, these days Bette Midler takes to the Colosseum stage at Caesars Palace with all the sass and bawdiness that first captivated audiences in the 70s, singing, hip-wiggling, and strutting through her latest extravaganza, The Showgirl Must Go On.

Bette Midler’s The Showgirl Must Go On continues its run at the Colosseum stage of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Given the show’s fast pace, wireless audio was a necessity. With Midler’s longtime sound engineer David Morgan installed behind a Digidesign VENUE console at front-of-house, Shure’s UHF-R wireless was picked for the task, with Midler given a champagne-finished, KSM9-equipped handheld transmitter to hold every night.

Both Morgan and monitor engineer Brian Hendry are pleased with the KSM9 microphone and the Shure UHF-R wireless system. “All the vocals are incredibly warm and present, providing the audience with a uniquely personal experience of our singers,” Morgan says. “The transmission quality creates a sound that is nearly indistinguishable from a wired version, and the reliability of the signal is unparalleled. As always, Shure has been a very important partner in making this big show a reality, and we very much appreciate their contribution.”

Midler says, “I’ve seen a lot of evolution in technology over the years. Before wireless was what it is today, we would use hardwired microphones with funny little custom holders on Delores’ wheelchair. [She’s referring to the wheelchair-bound mermaid Delores Del Lago, one of her many characters.] Then we moved on to headset microphones. With the tremendous amount of movement we have in this show today, there is simply no way we could do it without wireless microphones. Thanks to my collaboration with Shure, I really believe we’re getting the full benefits of a hardwired microphone in terms of sound quality, all without the fuss of being tied to a cord.”

Midler chose her champagne-hued KSM9 handheld transmitter from among offerings shown to her by Morgan, but, being the showgirl she is, can’t help but dream of other, flashier possibilities.
Bette Midler Makes a Date with Shure in Sin City

As effusive and irrepressible as ever, these days Bette Midler takes to the Colosseum stage at Caesars Palace with all the sass and bawdiness that first captivated audiences in the 70s, singing, hip-wiggling, and strutting through her latest extravaganza, The Showgirl Must Go On.

Bette Midler’s The Showgirl Must Go On continues its run at the Colosseum stage of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Given the show’s fast pace, wireless audio was a necessity. With Midler’s longtime sound engineer David Morgan installed behind a Digidesign VENUE console at front-of-house, Shure’s UHF-R wireless was picked for the task, with Midler given a champagne-finished, KSM9-equipped handheld transmitter to hold every night.

Both Morgan and monitor engineer Brian Hendry are pleased with the KSM9 microphone and the Shure UHF-R wireless system. “All the vocals are incredibly warm and present, providing the audience with a uniquely personal experience of our singers,” Morgan says. “The transmission quality creates a sound that is nearly indistinguishable from a wired version, and the reliability of the signal is unparalleled. As always, Shure has been a very important partner in making this big show a reality, and we very much appreciate their contribution.”

Midler says, “I’ve seen a lot of evolution in technology over the years. Before wireless was what it is today, we would use hardwired microphones with funny little custom holders on Delores’ wheelchair. [She’s referring to the wheelchair-bound mermaid Delores Del Lago, one of her many characters.] Then we moved on to headset microphones. With the tremendous amount of movement we have in this show today, there is simply no way we could do it without wireless microphones. Thanks to my collaboration with Shure, I really believe we’re getting the full benefits of a hardwired microphone in terms of sound quality, all without the fuss of being tied to a cord.”